Ship Fuel Line Routing for Emergency Navigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ship configurations with multiple engine rooms face challenges in ensuring self-navigation during fires or floods, as the size and placement of fuel tanks are restricted by the need for space and balance, particularly in the stern section where propeller installation is critical.
Innovation Solution
A ship design featuring multiple fuel lines and a pump mechanism that allows fuel to be selectively supplied to either engine room through different partitioned sections, enabling continuous navigation even if one engine room is compromised by fire or flood, without the need for a large fuel tank on the stern side, thus optimizing space and balance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If fuel tanks are disposed on both bow side and stern side for multiple engine rooms, then self-navigation ability during fire or flood is improved, but ship body space utilization deteriorates due to narrowed stern section
Solution Approach 1:
The fuel supply system is segmented into multiple independent fuel lines (first fuel line and second fuel line) that can operate separately. The first fuel line passes through the second engine room while the second fuel line uses an alternative route, allowing fuel supply to continue even if one route is blocked by fire or flood.
Solution Approach 2:
The pump mechanism acts as an intermediary device that selectively switches fuel flow between the first fuel line and second fuel line based on operational conditions. This mediator enables flexible fuel supply routing to maintain engine operation during emergencies.
2Duration of action of moving object
If a large fuel tank is disposed on the stern side to ensure sufficient fuel supply, then self-navigation duration is improved, but ship balance and propeller installation space deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The fuel line routing is changed from a single longitudinal path to multiple dimensional paths. The first fuel line travels through the second engine room while the second fuel line uses an alternative route, effectively adding spatial dimensions to the fuel supply pathway and bypassing the stern space constraint.
Solution Approach 2:
The fuel tank chamber is designed to serve multiple functions: it supplies fuel to both the first engine room and second engine room through different fuel lines, and can maintain operation under various emergency conditions (fire or flood in either engine room), enhancing the overall versatility of the fuel supply system.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration ensures the ship can navigate independently during emergencies while efficiently utilizing internal space, preventing center of gravity bias and reducing weight, thereby enhancing fuel efficiency and cargo capacity.
Implementation Method 1
a pump mechanism configured to selectively feed the fuel from the fuel tank to either the first fuel line or the second fuel line
Data Source
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AI summary
This ship (1) comprises a ship body (2), a fuel tank chamber (103), a stern-side engine room (101), a bow-side engine room (102), a main fuel line (51) and a sub-fuel line (52), and a pump mechanism (60). The main fuel line (51) connects a fuel tank (31), a stern-side power generation unit (11), and a bow-side power generation unit (21) through the bow-side engine room (102). The sub-fuel line (52) connects at least the fuel tank (31) and the stern-side power generation unit (11), and is disposed through a section different from the bow-side engine room (102) through which the main fuel line (51) passes. The pump mechanism (60) selectively feeds fuel into the main fuel line (51) or the sub-fuel line (52) from the fuel tank (31).